Rear-dump haul trucks are commonly used in the mining industry to transport coal or other goods around a mine site. These trucks are provided with trays which are raised in order to dump a load that the truck is carrying in a predetermined spot. The problem is that once the load has been dumped, occasionally the driver may drive away without remembering to first lower the tray. Such an instance can be hazardous as there is a potential for the raised tray of the truck to collide with an overpass or power lines or some other obstacle.
In order to overcome this problem, various electronic indicators have been developed which are adapted to be installed within the cabin of the truck and indicate to the driver that the tray is still in a raised position. These devices usually comprise a flashing light, or a speaker for a siren, to be installed within the cabin of the truck to attract the driver's attention before they drive away without first lowering the tray. The disadvantage of the prior art is that the devices are electronic and can easily fail due to their reliance on a power source for operation. In addition, if the bulb of the light is blown, or the siren sound fails to sound, the devices will fail to alert the driver of the tray's position. The prior art fails to provide a mechanical means of indicating and alerting the driver of the position of a tray provided on a rear-dump haul truck.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a tray position indicator for rear-dump haul trucks which provides a mechanical means of indicating and alerting a driver of the position of a tray of a rear-dump haul truck to reduce the likelihood of a driver driving away without first lowering the tray.